For the first time in over 20 years, the Colorado Avalanche have won a game in the Stanley Cup Finals when they secured a 4-3 victory in Game 1 of their matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Will the Avs go up 2-0 after Saturday’s game? Or will the Lightning tie it all up before heading back home for Games 3 and 4? Check out our preview of this Lightning vs. Avs 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Finals game below.
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Betting Preview for the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Colorado Avalanche 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 on June 18, 2022
Where: Ball Arena, Denver
When: Saturday, June 18, 2022, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Tampa Bay Lightning (+1.5) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-1.5) – view all 2021-22 NHL lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Betting on the Tampa Bay Lightning (+1.5)
Regular Season Record: 51-23-8
It was a heartbreaking loss for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in Game 1, but being down in a series in these playoffs isn’t new to the Lightning. In the first round, the Lightning lost the series opener giants the Toronto Maple Leafs. After sweeping the Florida Panthers in the second round, Tampa Bay dropped the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals versus the New York Rangers. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper did not like the effort Wednesday night against the Avalanche, and that reflected in the Lightning getting outshot on goal by a big margin, 38-23. However, for the Lightning to lose by just a goal despite getting outworked in the possession battle says a lot about the quality of Andre Vasilevskiy’s goaltending. Sure he allowed four goals, but he was great in front of the net after his first-period troubles. Tampa Bay still has the best goalie in the series.
The Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 games as an underdog.
Betting on the Colorado Avalanche (-1.5)
Regular Season Record: 56-19-7
The Avs did not waste much time in showing why they were the pre-series favorites against Tampa Bay, as they scored 3 goals and allowed just one in the first period. They struggled a bit from that point forward, but still got the job done in overtime, thanks to Andre Burakovsky’s goal off an assist from J.T. Compher and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avs scored four goals despite Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon combining for just a point, which just goes to show how deep Colorado is, and how well-rounded the Avalanche are. It’s only a matter of time before Mackinnon and Makar make their mark with their scoring abilities, and that could come in Game 2 with both all warmed up. It’s also worth noting that the Avs have already scored a goal on the power play in this matchup, going 1/3 on the man advantage in Game 1 to raise their PP success rate to 31.3 percent in the playoffs.
The Avalanche are 10-1 in their last 11 games after taking a 2-day rest.
Writer’s Prediction
The Lightning win, 3-2.
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